The genius of the Mountain Goats has always been its ability to effortlessly weave together simplicity and profundity. The band’s melodies are straightforward and sound almost as if they’d be at home as the theme to a heartwarming ’90s sitcom. (Go ahead and listen to “Genesis 3:23″and tell me that isn’t true.)
And then there’s the unadorned timbre of lead singer John Darnielle’s voice. Listening to him, you get the sense that he’s not so much singing as handing you his lyrics — but carefully, reverently, as though they contain great truths.
And they do. This thoughtful lyricism and simple but powerful melody shine through on the Mountain Goats’ 18th release, All Eternals Deck — with the exception of a few so-so tracks, which surprise you like a lump of baking soda in an otherwise perfect cookie.
Opener “Damn these Vampires” is classic Mountain Goats. Rich piano and acoustic guitar meld with a sturdy drum track, while Darnielle sings out, “Crawl ’til dawn / on my hands and knees / God damn these vampires / for what they’ve done to me.”
On “Estate Sale Sign,” the melody takes a turn for the harsh — think Andrew Jackson Jihad, not Tallahassee. It’s a throwback to the old cassette tape days, but it doesn’t do justice to the mature sound the band has cultivated in recent years.
There are other highlights on All Eternals Deck: the orchestral melodrama of “Age of Kings” and “Outer Scorpion Squadron,” the lushness of “For Charles Bronson” and the crisp catchiness of “Beautiful Gas Mask.”
But by far the most powerful track is the penultimate “Never Quite Free,” about the struggle to find inner peace. The song starts off with full-bodied instrumentation that drops back during the choruses, leaving big spaces between Darnielle’s vocal introspection and the skeletal drum and piano below.
Near the middle of the song, the piano dissipates like smoke or sand in the wind, leaving only the barest tap of percussion. “Walk thy faith / tell no one what you’ve seen,” Darnielle sings, his voice a fragile whisper.
What comes next is a truly beautiful moment of music, sounding all the world like a mountain growing up from beneath your feet, leaving you to stand overlooking a vista bathed in the light of sunset. Boldly, triumphantly, Darnielle declares, “It’s so good to learn / that from right here / the view goes on forever / and you’ll never want for comfort / and you’ll never be alone.”
The song’s dénouement is just as powerful: a pedal steel’s mournful whine, slamming drums and the piano played so hard you know the pianist’s fingers hurt. Hearing it, you can’t help but imagine the band rocking along to the music like marionettes.
This is the Mountain Goats at its best, preaching hope and redemption, its music — simple though it may be — evoking the kind of depth of emotion that make us tilt our faces up and grin in thanks.
